The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying an elastic ring to tubular garments such as underpants which includes in combination a sewing machine mounted on a stationary stand with a movable structure supporting spaced apart units of so-called piece-carriers, i.e., devices on which the garments and elastic rings are placed prior to their being presented to the sewing machine. The apparatus also includes actuating means for effecting movement of the movable structure with respect to the sewing machine so as to sequentially move each piece-carrier unit from a loading position to a position of operative association with the stitching instrumentalities of the sewing machine. This actuating means is also effective while moving one unit from the loading zone in simultaneously moving another unit from the sewing zone so as to effect doffing of the sewn garment therefrom.
Apparatuses for performing this function are well known in the sewing art, but they are considered somewhat complex and rather cumbersome, for they are more commonly formed by circular structures with the piece-carrier units being mounted on the periphery of such structures and with the sewing machine occupying a sector of somewhat reduced area. In particular, the sewing machine is disposed so as to present its sewing zone tangential to the periphery of such known apparatuses to effect engagement at timed intervals with the garments and their respective pieces of elastic being supported by such piece carrier units.
In some of the known apparatuses the sewing machines occupy a narrow sector which is disposed internally of the pathway which the piece-carrier units are caused to follow and are arranged to move radially inward toward the axis of the circular structures to effect disengagement from a garment that has been sewn thereby permitting its removal from the apparatus.
Other known apparatuses utilize additional sewing machines which are located externally of the circular structure that support the piece-carrier units and serve to perform successive sewing operations on the same garment. It can be easily understood that the sewing machines are movably mounted on the circular structure type apparatus for they form a relatively small part thereof and are more practical to displace before and after each sewing operation.
The placement of the elastic ring on the tubular garment is a manual operation with the known apparatuses which results in its positioning not being consistently accurate and uniform. When the elastic ring is required to be concealed beneath a folded over edge of a garment, its positioning on the garment should be performed in a precise manner relative to said edge so as to avoid damage to said ring during the seaming cycle by the stitching instrumentalities of the machine.
The importance of accurate positioning of the elastic ring in known apparatuses is considered a very important factor for the sewing machines that commonly form a part of said apparatuses do not utilize the auxiliary attachments to effect an accurate and automatic foldover of the edge of the garment or which serve as a guide means for the elastic ring. It is obvious that these attachments are avoided so as to prevent complicating the operating procedures of presenting to and removal of the garments from the stitching instrumentalities.
For reasons set forth above it is readily understandable that the complications and difficulties are not easily avoided which are encountered when applying elastic rings to tubular garments on apparatuses of the prior art, and requires what is considered an excessive amount of an operator's time to minimize such problems.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for applying elastic rings to tubular garments which requires less space to perform its intended function than prior art apparatuses. Relative to the prior art apparatuses the invention provides improved performance by consistently and accurately ensuring positive positioning of the elastic rings as well as a means, when required, for folding over the garment edge prior to withdrawing the piece-carrier from the loading zone.